The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-30

ere at sign from the captain, tho helm
was put up and we were again tearing
through the surges while the light canvas
was being slowed. This eased her con-
siderably for time, but by shutdown It
was blowing half gale while we plowed tho
whiiecaps in grand style under couple OF
reefs in main and forests, our goal bearing
about three points To windward of the best
course we could lie. Before night closed In
took another squint Mt the other vessel and
had the satisfaction Of seeing that we had
weathered on her some and We're also grad
ually drawing ahead. The view around us
was superbly grand, but 'hings were rather
too lively for any one not IA seaman to enjoy
it. The wind was blowing half gale--good
nieasire-thc whole surface of the seething
waters had that Opaque, gray tint which tho
froth and bubbles OF heavy blow always
give. Monstrous seas rose and fell and rose
again. their tops torn to shreds us they broke
into foam and spray under the fury OF the
gale while the schooner under her shortened
canvas, was pitching in u way TO make a
nndsnan's hair stand on end as one moment
her sharp stem split huge wave in twain,
her forcloot the next moment suspended clear
of the water over the succeeding trough OF
the sea rs her stern sank deep in the embrace
of the divided wave.
As darkness came over the scene our last
sight of the Invincible showed that we were
at least holding our own, and, it being my
watch below, turned in, after changing my
wringing wet clothes, To make the most Of
what bid fair to be only short rest.
| was awakened by the hoarse shout of "all
bands on deck and tumbled up in a hurry
70 find the wind abating and the crew busy
shaking out the reefs in the fore and mans'ls
1t being nearly my time to take charge the
skipper went below, while l walked the deck
in command occasionally stopping to glance
at the compass to sea how we kept our course
About midnight we got the gaff and jb
tops'ls on her and before the captain again
appeared we had the flying jib set as well.
By daylight it was only blowing gentle
breeze, but the swell was still heavy, and as
the schooner had all sail set, including a
naintop mast stays', all that could be done
was to watch and wait. 1t is needless to tell
that us aylight broke over the still heaving
surface OF the ocean, every eye aboard the
vessel was eagerly searching the expanse Of
water for a sight Of our competitor, but,
from the deck, there was not a sail in sight.
A hand sent aloft to the fore cross trees
hailed the deck with the news Of bark Off
the port beam, heading to the northwest but
that was all. Speculation was rife as to the
whereabouts OF the other craft, the generally
accepted theory of her absence from view be-
ing that she must have laid to to weather out
the gale and that we had consequently run
her out of sight. This idea impaired pleas
urable feeling TO every one on board, as each
one of us had the promise of n liberal share
of the winnings in case of crossing the line
lirst-this being an offer of our owners as an
inducement TO the crew--besdes the natural
desire to win against n crack new boat.
The remainder of our run TO and around
Bermuda was uneventful, light winds pre-
vaiing all the way, and our course was laid
for New York with the expectation of meet
ing the other craft on her outward Journey
But no Invipcible did we see, and ON the
early morning of the ninth day out Sandy
Hook light was sighted. By noon we were
running up the lower bay under light, baf-
fling breeze shifting from east TO east south
east and anxiously scanning every schooner
in sight, but nothing was seen of the beauti-
full craft for which we looked. We reported
at the finish and found that we had won our
money, as the other vessel was not yet in,
and right well were we satisfied with the
race.
When did the 1nvncble arrive? some one
asks. She was never d OF again. Wheth
er she struck foati, wreck, or whether
thrown on her beam ends and foundered, or
sprung leak under the pressure of the gale
of the first day and night has not, nor never
will be known Her fate is one of those mys-
teries in which the life Of mariner abounds
and, until the sea gives up its dead, naughs
will never be known of the crew who manned
the good schooner mvincible in her i'll fated
race with the now old and weather beaten
coaster Willmgton.-Carl Torp in Detroi,
Free Press